To validate the Korean Version of the Jefferson Empathy Scale for Health professionals (K-JSE-HP) in a sample of Korean nurses.

Internal consistency reliability, construct and criterion validity were calculated using SPSS (22.0) and AMOS (22.0). Data were collected from 253 nurses (230 women, 23 men) working at one university hospital in Seoul, South Korea.

The Korean version of JSE-HP showed reliable internal consistency with Cronbach's alpha for the total scale of .89, and .74~.84 for subscales. The model of three subscales for the K-JSE-HP was validated by confirmatory factor analysis (χ²=864.60, Q=6.55, p<.001, CFI=.94, NNFI=.92). Criterion validity compared to the Interpersonal Reaction Index (IRI) showed significant correlation.

The findings of this study demonstrate that the Korean JSE-HP shows satisfactory construct and criterion validity and reliability. It is a useful tool to measure Korean nurses' empathy.